Padres Xtra Inningshttp://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/
en-usCopyright 2008Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:28:10 -0800http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssPadres 9 Diamondbacks 2 on August 26, 2008
So, let me get this straight. The first-place Diamondbacks come to town. Cy Young front-runner Brandon Webb gets the start for Arizona. Webb is looking for his twentieth win of the season. And the Padres...won? Big?!? Am I dreaming this? This couldn't possibly be the 2008 Padres scoring five runs in one inning off one of the best pitchers in the league, could it? That's not really the Padres' bullpen with four innings of shutout ball, is it? Each of the starting eight position players for the Friars had a hit? Four Padres had multi-hit games? Kevin Kouzmanoff had 3 RBIs? Brian Giles hit a home run that needed to be monitored by NASA? Come on. Really. This can't be happening. Somebody pinch me.
During Tony Clark's tenure as a Padres he really didn't provide the big bat off the bench that the front office had hoped he would. In his 88 at bats he'd posted a rather anemic .239 batting average and a less than impressive .309 slugging percentage. Now back with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Clark, in a unintentional way managed to help his former team when he came to the plate against the struggling Padre starter. Chad Reineke had missed location badly and had walked both Adam Dunn and Mark Reynolds with a total of 10 pitches to lead off the top of the second inning. Clark, missed or watched four pitches that Reineke grooved over the heart of the plate. The eighth pitch, a called strike would provide the first out of what could have been an ugly inning. Chris Snyder jumped on the first pitch curveball and rolled it over for an inning ending double play to get the Padres out of their mini jam.
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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_9_diamondbacks_2_on_aug.htmlKeys to the GameWed, 27 Aug 2008 09:28:10 -0800Padres 4 Diamondbacks 2 on August 25, 2008
It took a little something special to snap the Padres' maddening seven-game losing streak, and on Monday, that's what the Padres got. Jody Gerut's two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth provided Padres fans with a rare treat. For once, it was the Petco Park crowd that got to celebrate a dramatic late victory. But Gerut's shot should never really have happened. By working a scoreless top half of the ninth, Trevor Hoffman got a win, but it could have been- and should have been - a save instead. In the bottom of the eighth, the Padres had a golden opportunity to take the lead with a bases-loaded, one-out situation. The Padres offense seemed to have relief pitcher Tony Pena on the ropes, until Tadahito Iguchi grounded into an inning-ending double play. The Friar faithful, snakebitten all season - even when it's not the Diamondbacks in town, rightfully expected another trip to extra innings, until Gerut did something special.

Luis Rodriguez entered the Monday night game against the Diamondbacks, batting .255 in his 98 total plate appearances since being called up to replace the injured Khalil Greene. The replacement shortstop ended up going three for five with a double and a triple but perhaps his most important hit of the game was a single in the ninth inning. Brian Giles had singled with one out but was thrown out trying for second base when Mark Reynolds had overthrown first base. The luck carom back to Chad Tracy allowing the first baseman to retire Giles at second and brought Rodriguez to the plate with two outs and the bases empty. Rodriguez got a 94 MPH 1-2 fastball that he lined to right field keeping the inning and fans hopes alive. By extending the inning, Rodriguez gave Jody Gerut an opportunity to be a hero.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_4_diamondbacks_2_on_aug.htmlKeys to the GameTue, 26 Aug 2008 09:05:58 -0800Padres 4 Giants 7 on August 24, 2008
Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Giants had a little bit of everything, at least in terms of the 2008 Padres. A poor outing by the starting pitcher, a less-than-stellar outing from the bullpen, tons of blown opportunities and runners left on base, a blown lead, and a maddeningly slow-paced game made Sunday a microcosm of the Padres year so far. The Friars held an early 3-0 lead, but things began to unravel in the fifth. With runners at the corners and the score now 3-1, Padre killer Bengie Molina drove in his second of five RBIs on the day on a bizarre play. Molina's high fly ball to left should have been enough to drive in a run to make it a 3-2 game, until left fielder Chase Headley lost the would-be sacrifice fly in the sun. The errant ball dropped in behind Headley at the warning track, good for a really long RBI single. The Padres still held the lead at that that point, but giving the Giants an extra out spelled disaster for the Padres, as the prolonged inning ended with the Giants tying the score. A four-run sixth inning by San Francisco put the game out of reach, but Headley's misplayed fly ball is what began the unraveling.

Losing seven in a row, you'd think it would start to get a little easier to stomach but the Padres have a way of toying with the fans. Such was the case on Sunday when after watching a tie game turn into a four run deficit in the sixth inning, the Padres hitter were able to get one of the runs back and had two runners aboard with only one out. Brian Giles, back in the lead off spot is certainly one of the hitters that can tie up a game with a single swing. After working the count full, Giles connected with a 83 MPH slider and ripped a hard line drive to right field. Unfortunately, Randy Winn was able to make a sliding catch for the second out of the inning. Although Luis Rodrigues would single to load the bases, no other Padre would cross home plate and the Friars would leave the bases loaded for the second time in the game.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_4_giants_7_on_august_24.htmlKeys to the GameMon, 25 Aug 2008 07:34:05 -0800Padres 3 Giants 4 on August 23, 2008
We can now officially call the Padres' 2008 season a losing effort. On Saturday, the San Francisco Giants handed the Padres a 4-3 defeat, their 81st of the season. Of course, the notion that the Padres would ever reach the .500 plateau this year has been ridiculous since about mid-May, but there's just something about knowing that you officially will have a losing season this year. The natural tendency is to look for silver linings, and there are some, notably the emergence of left fielder Chase Headley as potentially an offensive force to be reckoned with. Headley was excellent again on Saturday, driving in two runs and keeping the Padres in the game. However, between the rash of injuries, the trades of popular players, and the unnerving drop-off in performance by players who usually do better than this (I'm looking in your general direction, Tadahito Iguchi), even the silver linings are hard to spot. Perhaps Saturday's game, and the Padres' 2008 season so far, can be expressed simply by looking at the starting pitchers for the game: Barry Zito versus...Dirk Hayhurst. Dirk Hayhurst? Keep the faith, Padres fans, keep the faith.
The games have to be played. After all, there is a chance the Padres could win one, right? Otherwise it might just save time if Bud Black handed over his terms of surrender in lieu of a line up at the pre-game meeting at home plate. Actually, Dirk Hayhurst didn't do all that badly for his major league debut. He was only able to go four innings but he only gave up three runs on a total of five hits and two walks. Hayhurst left the game with the Padres trailing by a single run. Granted, the Padres were playing with a short bench but Bud Blacks decision to send Cha Seung Baek -with his .174 batting average- to the plate as a pinch hitter in the top of the fifth inning was somewhat a baffling choice. Perhaps that was his way of waving a white flag. ]]>http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_3_giants_4_on_august_23.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_3_giants_4_on_august_23.htmlKeys to the GameSat, 23 Aug 2008 21:09:36 -0800Padres 0 Giants 5 on August 22, 2008
Tim Lincecum is good. Make no mistake he is a quality young pitcher. However, it doesn't take a particularly good pitcher to shut down an anemic offense. The Padres currently sport a .246 team batting average, are ranked 30th in OBP -.313- and thus far, only the Washington Nationals have managed to score fews runs this season.

Don't try and console yourselves with how the team is built on defense and pitching. Currently the Padres are ranked 15th in fielding percentage, 17th in total team ERA.

As to Friday nights game, the turning point could be that of the seven total hits given up by starter Cha Seung Baek, five of those hits occurred in the fourth inning. All five of those baserunners would go on to score putting the Giants up with a comfortable five run lead. The Giants could have charitably spotted the hapless Padres with a four runs at the start of the game and still walked away with a win.

So, back to the key to the game. Perhaps it was the fourth inning pitching performance by the starter. Then again, it might be the same key to most of their games this year, and that is that they simply are not a very good team.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_0_giants_5_on_august_22.htmlKeys to the GameSat, 23 Aug 2008 10:42:10 -0800Padres 6 Diamondbacks 7 on August 19, 2008
The Padres had an unexpected flurry of runs in the ninth inning and got themselves back in the game. They entered the ninth, trailing 3-7 but four hits and a walk plated three runs and put Chase Headley on first base and Adrian Gonzalez a mere 90' away from tying the game. This threat forced Bob Melvin to lift Brandon Lyon in favor of Tony Pena Nick Hundley jumped on the first pitch, a 95 MPH fastball. Unfortunately, the rookie catcher wasn't able to get the ball though the infield. Worse yet, Adrian Gonzalez made a baserunning gaffe and broke for home on a ball fielded by the pitcher. Given Gonzalez's lack of speed it's not a certainty that he would have been able to score even if he had waited for Pena to commit to first base. However, the blunder made for an easy second out and didn't require them to execute the throw to first. Luis Rodriguez would send a fly ball to center field that was easily handled by Chris Young to end the threat. When a team has difficultly putting runs on the board they have to make sure they are doing all of the little things correctly that they can control. Sadly, they are still making baserunning mistakes.
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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_6_diamondbacks_7_on_aug.htmlKeys to the GameWed, 20 Aug 2008 10:29:28 -0800Padres 1 Phillies 2 on August 17, 2008
Cha Seung Baek pitched well enough on Sunday night to win. If a pitcher gives up two runs on four hits, and limits the opposition to two walks, you'd expect to be able to put another "W" in the win column. Of course, if you'd been religiously watching the Padres during the 2008 season you'd know that two runs often more than enough to defeat the struggling Friar offense. The Padres had the tying run in scoring position in the seventh inning when back-to-back singles from Luke Carlin and Jody Gerut put two runners aboard with only one away. Scott Hairston got the pitch he needed, a fastball over the heart of the plate, unfortunately, he wasn't able to square up on the ball and the scoring threat ended with a routine 4-3 double play. The Padres went down quietly in order for Cole Hamels in the eighth inning and didn't give Phillies closer Brad Lidge too much to worry about in the ninth.]]>http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_1_phillies_2_on_august.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_1_phillies_2_on_august.htmlKeys to the GameMon, 18 Aug 2008 07:34:07 -0800Padres 3 Brewers 1 on August 14, 2008
It was almost another missed opportunity for a win by Jake Peavy, as the Padres' bats were quiet as usual. In fairness, it should be noted that the Padres' offense had as difficult a task as the Brewers', facing All-Star starter Ben Sheets on Thursday. The two aces made it interesting, allowing only three combined hits through the first six innings. But the Brewers broke the ice and got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh, taking a 1-0 lead. Sadly, that's been enough to beat Peavy and the Padres this season, as Peavy's run support has been as non-existent as Bigfoot. Wait, what's that? They FOUND Bigfoot? Oh, and the Padres found their bats in the bottom of the seventh, too. Slumping Tadahito Iguchi tied the game with an RBI single, before Bryan Myrow and Jody Gerut turned in RBIs as well to give the Padres the lead...and to give Peavy a much-deserved win for a change.

Jake Peavy was given a little unexpected run support in the home frame of the seventh inning which put him in line for the win. After taking the late two run lead, skipper Bud Black went with the patented combination of Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman for the eighth and ninth inning. Any fan who has watched Padre baseball this season, is painfully aware that those last two crucial innings are not as "automatic" as they had been in previous seasons. Bell got a quick first out but a double off the bat of Craig Counsell put a runner in scoring position. Counsell was able to advance to third on infield groundout but that brought Prince Fielder to the plate. Which, given his previous success against Padre pitching, he has to be considered to "be in scoring position" every at bat. Fielder was able to draw a walk which most would consider a good outcome. Bell was able to get the third out and leave the two runners stranded. Enter Trevor Hoffman. The "obligatory hit" for the inning came off the bat of former Padre Mike Cameron. Unfortunately it left the park leaving Hoffman with just the one run lead to protect. The Padre closer was able to shut the door on any additional offense but between he and Bell, it certainly made things interesting.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_3_brewers_1_on_august_1.htmlKeys to the GameFri, 15 Aug 2008 09:41:56 -0800Padres 16 Rockies 7 on August 10, 2008
In Sunday's wild 16-7 victory at Coors Field, where fans had to double-check the scoreboard to make sure they weren't watching a Chargers-Broncos game, the biggest factor in the Padres' win wasn't a play on the field, but a decision made in advance of the game. The Rockies, desperate for a number five starter in their rotation this year, trotted out the well-travelled and rotund Livan Hernandez to take the hill for the rubber match of the three game series. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle's decision to start Hernandez, and to keep him on the mound despite getting shelled, made all the difference. Hernandez allowed hits to the first four batters he faced, and the Padres were up 3-0 before Hernandez had recorded a single out in the first. After a scoreless second, Hurdle decided to take his chances and keep the chubby Cuban in the game, since, after all, it was only a 4-0 game at that point, and they were playing in Coors Field. But the Padres continued to pound the Rockies starter, chasing him out of the game after only 2-2/3 innings, with Hernandez being charged with nine earned runs. Considering that Chris Young surrendered seven runs of his own, Hurdle's decision to start Hernandez turned this one into a laugher.
Padre fans were asking, "Who ARE these guys", during the final game of the series against the Colorado Rockies. The Friars scored, what is usually a weeks worth of runs in a single game. Twenty hits and seven walks translated into 16 runs to take the second win and the series. While they jumped to an early lead, it was in the third inning where the Padre hitters drove the final nail in the Rockies coffin. A two run shot off the bat of Kevin Kouzmanoff would plate the first two runs of the inning. With one away, Edgar Gonzales and Luke Carlin would draw back to back walks. A strike out on a missed bunt attempt by starter Chris Young was an unproductive second out and Rockies starter LIvan Hernandez almost got out of the inning with minimal damages. However, Hernandez hung a curveball to Jody Gerut. The Padre center fielder crushed the ball to right centerfield for a three run blast that would ultimately chase Hernandez from the game after only 2.2 innings. ]]>http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_16_rockies_7_on_august.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_16_rockies_7_on_august.htmlKeys to the GameMon, 11 Aug 2008 08:58:10 -0800Padres 3 Rockies 6 on August 8, 2008
Trailing by a single run as they entered the bottom of the seventh inning, Bud Black lifted Jake Peavy in favor of Cla Meredith to face the number nine, one and two batters. Meredith was able to get ahead on the count to pinch hitter Jeff Baker. Unfortunately, after starting with a 0-2 count, the Padre reliever walked the Baker, putting the lead off hitter on. So far this season in his 54.2 innings of work, Meredith has issued free passes to 22 batters. Compared to his walk total last year -79.2 innings and 17 walks- it continues to be a disturbing downward trend. Meredith compounded the walk when several pitches later, a pick off attempt resulted in a two base throwing error. Meredith was able to strike out Willy Taveras with the next pitch providing the first out. With the runner at third base, Black moved his infield in to hopefully cut down a scoring attempt at the plate. Unfortunatly, with the infield positioned for a ground ball, it left them poorly positioned for a bloop single off the bat of Clint Barmas. At normal depth, this likely would have been the second out of the inning. Meredith would walk two more batters before Black had seen enough. Sadly, the bull pens predilection of allowing inherited runs to score would continue under Will Ledezma's watch. In fairness, Ledezma should have gotten out of the inning except for a miscommunication when Scott Hairston called Brian Giles off of a fly ball to right center field. Giles gave way as directed however, it seems that Hairston had misjudged his ability to glove the ball. This three run inning let the game get out of hand and the Padre hitters failed once again to respond.]]>http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_3_rockies_6_on_august_8.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_3_rockies_6_on_august_8.htmlKeys to the GameSat, 09 Aug 2008 15:54:12 -0800Padres 5 Mets 3 on August 7, 2008
It's no secret that the Padres have struggled to cash in on scoring opportunities in 2008, but Thursday afternoon was somehow worse than usual. As the Padres made their final appearance in Shea Stadium, they repeatedly let the host Mets off the hook. At the forefront of San Diego's frustration was a pair of double plays off the bat of third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff. With one out in the sixth and a runner at third, Mets starter Johan Santana pitched around Adrian Gonzalez to get to Kouzmanoff, who promptly swung at a bad pitch and grounded into an inning-ending twin killing in 2-1 game. But that wasn't nearly enough misery for the Padres, as Kouzmanoff blew yet another chance to tie the game in the eighth. This time, the bases were loaded with one gone, and worse yet, the back half of the play featured a blown call by the umpire, ending the inning and the threat. While it was a walk-off homer that eventually won the game for Mets, the lack of runs scored in those key situations are what did the Padres in.
Sometimes it's the little things that can make a difference in a game. The ability to lay down a successful sacrifice bunt, the bat control to lift a ball somewhere into the outfield, being able to put the ball to the right side to score a runner a mere 90' away in a one out situation, or sometimes it's just about playing hard. As Daron pointed out, double plays were rally killers for the Friars today. However, one double play -the one he reference in the sixth inning- might have been avoided had Adrian Gonzalez have avoided running into the tag. Requiring the other team to execute the play can occasionally lead to breaks. Had Gonzalez avoided contact and made Argenis Reyes either make a throw to second base for the force out, or run him down for the tag, it's likely that the Padres would have been able to plate a run. To be fair, with the way the entire team has struggled this season, it's understandable why an All-Star first baseman might not feel that initiating a pickle situation was worth the possible hamstring risk. After all, it's not like an additional win is going to make a difference in the standings.]]>http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_5_mets_3_on_august_7_20.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_5_mets_3_on_august_7_20.htmlKeys to the GameThu, 07 Aug 2008 16:49:48 -0800Padres 4 Mets 2 on August 6, 2008

After failing to capitalize on an earlier opportunity, the Friar threatened again in the seventh inning when Cha Seung Baek dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Luiz Rodriguez to third base. Fans had a sense of fifth inning deja vu when Jody Gerut recorded the second out followed by Edgar Gonzalez drawing his second walk of the night. Normally, with two back-to-back left handed hitters in the line up, teams will play the lefty-lefty matchup. However, Brian Giles enjoys particularly good success and was just able to fight off a 87 inside fastball from southpaw Pedro Feliciano. It appeared off the bat that this would be a routine out for third baseman David Wright but a little backspin caused the ball to check up just a bit and it rolled between the legs of last years Gold Glove winner. Rodriguez was able to score easily with the benefit of the error and the Padres were able to break the 2-2 tie and retake the lead.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_4_mets_2_on_august_6_20.htmlKeys to the GameThu, 07 Aug 2008 08:04:58 -0800Padres 4 Giants 1 on August 3, 2008
What was so hard about that? On the surface, it almost seems silly that Greg Maddux had so much difficulty reaching career win #351, going more than two months between victories. On Sunday, the future hall-of-famer was as sharp as ever, pitching six strong innings and even driving in a run as he won his second consecutive start, and #352 overall. Perhaps the biggest difference between Sunday's game and those frustrating starts beforehand was the Padres' ability to score late in the game. Seven times in 2008, Maddux has left a game with the lead and a chance for the win. But the Padres' offense has failed to add on to leads all season long, and that allowed the bullpen to cost Maddux all those games. On Sunday, it was a different story. The Padres broke through in the sixth on Nick Hundley's sacrifice fly, in one of those, 'at least they finally scored SOMETHING situations,' with the bases loaded and one out. Kevin Kouzmanoff's monster opposite field home run in the seventh and Brian Giles' eighth inning RBI not only assured Maddux of the victory, it made it look, well, kind of easy.

After suffering numerous miscues in the last few weeks, it was refreshing to see solid defense during the final game of the series on Sunday. Padre hitters typically don't give the pitching staff a great deal of run support, so preserving a lead requires a nearly perfect performance from the bull pen. Trevor Hoffman was given a three run lead when he took the mound to close out the win and it was clear that Hoffman didn't have his best stuff. Randy Winn led off the inning with a infield single and then promptly swiped an extra 90 feet putting himself in scoring position. Benjie Molina has had previous success against Hoffman -3 for 6 with two home runs- and he connected with a breaking ball sending it to centerfield. Off the bat it appeared as if it would fall in for a single however Jody Gerut made a particularly athletic play, robbing Molina of a hit and likely saving a run. Aaron Rowland liked the first pitch he saw and sent it to the warning track in right center only to have Brian Giles make an impressive basket catch, again, saving a run. Hoffman was able to collect himself and strike out John Bowker for the third out, collecting a save and allowing Greg Maddux to record his 352nd win.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/08/padres_4_giants_1_on_august_3.htmlKeys to the GameMon, 04 Aug 2008 12:28:51 -0800Padres 3 Diamondbacks 7 on July 30, 2008
One of the biggest problems facing the Padres in recent days has been their inability to score late in the game. Perhaps, it's more accuarate to say that they have trouble scoring after the first four innings. So, naturally, after four innings on Wednesday, the Padres led 3-1...and never scored again. But unlike Monday's game, where the Padres scored eight runs over the first three innings, Wednesday's output was not enough to overcome another series of defensive lapses. This time, it was a nightmarish fifth inning, where a 3-1 lead quickly became a 5-3 deficit. A throwing error by Chase headley prolonged the inning and set up extra scoring opportunities for the Diamondbacks. Later that inning, a botched play at the plate not only allowed a run, but it allowed the wheels to come off. And while catcher Josh Bard was officially charged with the error for a 'missed catch,' it appeared to be a case of Petco Park's official scorer giving third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff a break, after he has struggled defensively in recent weeks. But the Padres could overcome their own defensive shortcomings if they could just find a way to score runs later in the game.

Cha Seung Baek was staked to an early 3-1 lead that he took into the fifth inning. Granted, Baek had some defensive miscues -two errors- to start the inning however, the most of the damage was a result of his missing on location. With one in, one away and Dan Haren on second base, Chris Young was prepared to trade an out to advance the runner. A bunt attempt on the first pitch went foul. The next three offerings from the Padre starter were nowhere near the strike zone which set up a favorable hitting situation and the bunt play was removed. Young took a slider for a called strike and fouled off the next two pitches. The eighth offering, a breaking ball hung over the heart of the plate was roped to the wall in left field, easily scoring Haren and putting yet another runner in scoring position. Four runs would score before the elusive third out was recorded and Padre hitters were unable to respond with any additional run support.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/xtra/2008/07/padres_3_diamondbacks_7_on_jul.htmlKeys to the GameThu, 31 Jul 2008 07:44:47 -0800Padres 0 Diamondbacks 3 on July 29, 2008
The Padres front office has long maintained that good pitching and solid defense will win games. That adage proved true during the second game in the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, it was the visitors that brought the arm and the glove to the park Tuesday night.

Starter Doug Davis pitched a masterful 7.2 innings and had been perfect through 6.2 innings when Brian Giles finally broke up the no-no with a two out single. While the perfect game was over, Davis was still working a shut out and took the hill for the eighth inning, making Kevin Kouzmanoff his first victim. From that point, things didn't go as smoothly. A Chase Headley single, and walks by Khalil Greene and Josh Bard would load the bases and send D-Backs skipper Bob Melvin to his pen. With two outs, Jody Gerut connected with a Jon Rauch fastball, crushing it deep to Cox alley. Off the bat, it appeared to over the head of right fielder Alex Romero and by rights should have cleared the bases and tied the game. This is the point where we revisit the comment about solid defense. Romero made a 'Say-Hey-Kid' type of play at the wall, robbing Gerut of extra bases and ending the Padres' scoring chance.